Right now there is a big debate on who should be responsible for economic development in Pensacola. So who do you think should take the lead, private industry or government?
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As I read through these comments it amazes me how little people in this community know about how government is designed to work. I urge you to take part in City/County government forums and committee meetings. People in this area love to tell you how “patriotic” they are, but don’t know the first thing about being a citizen. Get involved in YOUR government. Citizenship is not a spectator sport!
In his inaugural speech, President John Kennedy exhorted the American people to, “…..ask not what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” and the people were with him. How, then, have we gone from this yes-we-can diy national spirit to this do-it-for-me I-demand-my-rights generation in just short 50 or so years? To this first generation immigrant, this trend we are on is a dangerous one. We are going backwards, not forward. Heck, we are even offering terrorists from foreign lands rights that should only be reserved for US citizens and we are telling our kids they can divorce their parents! What is the incentive or the challenge for us to become a better, stronger or more “progressive” nation if we just want things handed to us instead of us working for them? Do we not understand that, if we keep on living like daughters of leeches and consistently ask our government to give us our wants and needs, we will loose our collective power as a People? That we will loose our identity as Americans? The hand that provides is the hand of power. We have, slowly but surely, handed over our power to our government! What has happened to America, the land of the free and the home of the brave? When will we wake up?!
Perfect work!
Perfect work!
Perfect work!
Perfect work!
I grew up an Army Brat and have lived in many places over the last several decades. I moved to P’Cola to be near Grandchildren. However, this is not a place I would choose on my own. Not to say that Pensacola is all bad, but have you really driven around and looked at this place. Any decent organization is going to take the time to look around and experience this town before moving their company here. What they see will make a difference in their decision. Moreover, what they see right now is a county that looks trashy. Changes need to be made to bring good reputable companies to this county. For example, whoever thought it was OK to allow builders to put a home on 1/10th of an acre was out of their mind. This is barely enough room to move; much less raise a family. We have plenty of land available without squeezing people into small lots. In addition, allowing trailers and homes to be placed on lots that are so small that you can reach out the window and knock on your neighbor’s door is also extremely stupid. I cannot believe that permits were actually given to allow this. Furthermore, not much seems to be done about the look of the yards or the overgrowth of bushes and weeds, especially on corner lots that block driver’s views. I have never lived in a town that would allow this. In addition, to say that poorer areas should not look as good as wealthier areas is crazy. Guidelines should be universal. A lot should be clean and presentable whether you live on the Eastside or Westside of town should not matter. Besides the fact that the small lots look cramped and undesirable, it also puts more people into an area that will need to be evacuated should another Ivan or Dennis head our way. Allowing more people to live in an area that cannot now get the people out just does not make sense. IF you want businesses to come to Escambia County, you must first clean it up. Review regulations, compare to other towns of similar size, and fix what needs to be fixed. Then and only then will you get organizations to WANT to come to this area.
After reading what other wrote, I do not feel that it is too much government, but ineffective government. Government has been doing the same thing repeatedly and it has not worked. Common sense tells you it is time to change. Rules, regulations, policies, etc. have to change for the better.
A more realistic survey should be made asking specifics, not generalizations. Instead of asking if Pensacola is on the right or wrong track, ask what is right and what is wrong. Find out what neighbors think about neighborhoods. Do people want sexual offenders (even those released) living near schools, parks, daycares, and other places where children are? I am sure they do not however; Escambia County has made no additional rules to prevent this. Sexual offenders, even those who have been released, should not being living next to an Elementary and Middle School. I hear neighboring counties (Alabama included) make policies to protect children, but not here. Do neighbors want to walk around the block and see stacks of totes leaning against a neighbor’s home, or piles of junk, or mold on the siding? Probably not, so why would a business? Government should take a drive through the county and really see what strangers would see. For example, if a person drives in from Alabama via Gulf Beach Hwy, what will they see along the way to downtown Pensacola? If they get off I-10 at Exit 7, what will they see? If someone makes a wrong turn somewhere, what will he or she see? Really open your eyes, take pictures, make notes, then make changes. The small things need to be looked at and fixed to get to the big picture that Pensacola wants.
The many layers of government and city taxes don’t help attract people to live in the city. And what do we get for all the extra taxes that the county residents don’t get?????
no matter how many layers we have, the area still appears trashy. Millions of tax dollars spent while the same eyesores remain year after year with no sign of code enforcement. Why not assess thes properties more as some cities do as they hold back progress. Too many eyesores held by weathly owners waiting for the increase in value which they stifle. We still have boarded up instead of repaired windows on Palafox Street with a DIB, CRA, ARB, and code enforcement in place.
The leaders seem to have an inferiority complex and believe they must beg or pay folks to come here when they should be focusing on making the area attractive. How many extra taxes have been added in the last years including stormwater taxes? City franchise fees, city taxes and impact fees of $25.00 per month on my ECUA bill adds up.
Meanwhile leaders continue the affordable housing parade while area neighborhoods in the CRA remain just as blighted as they were in the beginning. There is plenty of affordable historic housing stock but when neighborhoods appear abandoned by government, residents don’t buy in.
Mayor calls for a plan to clean up Pensacola, while the city makes a junkyard at the multi million dollar Cervantes bridge and the entrance to the CRA and downtwon in between two “reviving” neighborhoods, one being the latest new CRA district. What was the council’s “vision” at that entrance? What impression does this make on potential residents or businesses? a progressive, clean community with pride? Don’t think so.
It’s hard to continue to believe the rhetoric that is said by the so called leaders.
Jerry is one of the few progressive thinkers living in the greater Pensacola area. He is anything but a good old boy politician.
Economic Development needs to be led by the private sector. Anyone who scratches the surface on what the chamber has been doing recently (last two or three years) is a) a movement away from the good old boy network, b) a movement toward the types of companies we have to have to grow our economy, and c) has been done with basically no help from local government (unless you want to count bed tax dollars that can only be spent on chasing tourists.
Unfortunately no one really wants to look at the facts, what they are actually doing. Instead they have become a whipping boy for things out of their control: national economy and the fact that economic development has not been a priority for the city and county.
We have to much government as it is. Make it easier to open and build new business, without so much regulations. You run people off with our city and county rules that contradict each other.
Right now we know that it has been said over and over that econmic development takes place when small business, minority business, are what stimulates an ecomony. The Chamber new plan does not address minority business at all. We need to see the city and county do but money on the table to help Miniority Business. The Chamber has resisted over the years not to extend an arm to a minority chamber. That’s fine. Creating a seperate intity could do just that. Nobody said the Chamber is the only program the City & the County can but money into to create economic develop. I don’t think you need to be in the sunshine to discuss economic development ,but when you decide to use our tax dollars ,then the public has a right to know.
I am a short timer here (less than 5 years). I have lived in large American cities on both coasts, the Midwest, and Southwest. I have never lived anywhere where the general attitude is ‘woe is me’ and ‘let the government do it’.
Yes, local city and county government has some responsibilities. They should carry out those responsibilities and then get out of the way. Sure, some incentives are useful - especially since local government owns so much of our most attractive and valuable land. But, once this land is sold to private developers, with whatever restrictions the public feels are appropriate, let’s get going. It’s an old story, but the Community Maritime Park would be up and operating in almost any other city by now. The downtown sewer plant would be gone already. Escambia County and City of Pensacola government only knows one speed, ’slow’.
There are several leaders in the community that have successful national and local firms, ranging from health care to consulting, technology, and hospitality. Most are held back by needless regulation, doubters, and professional pessimists.
The largest issue this area has, other than the pace of change, is Escambia’s education system. We must expect better from every student. Until that is repaired, all attempts at luring companies to move to Pensacola or Escambia County are working with a hand tied behind their back. There is nothing wrong with testing a student’s proficiency! There is nothing wrong with merit pay! Life is not fair. You get back what you put in and a little more - depending on your attitude and your aptitude.
First of all I would like to note that when I tried to use the Contact Us it took me to an error page, so I’m not sure if it went through or not. I just thought that should be addressed by an admin.
Secondly I would like to voice my suspicion when it comes to the “leadership.” The website claims in several places that it is anti-good-ol-boy-politics and pro-true-progressive-politics, if this is true that is wonderful, because that is nail-on-the-head what Pensacola needs; however, it is a circulating opinion that former mayor Jerry Maygarden is and has been a leading part of Pensacola’s good-ol-boy political policies. Furthermore, Carol Carlan and her husband don’t strike me as progressives at all and in fact are also leaders of the good-ol-boy political scene.
On the other hand I feel the presence of Quint Studer brings legitimacy to the website, being known as a well educated and caring progressive.
Also up until about noon on this day July 23rd when an e-mail was circulated there has been very little going on, on the site. I note that there is only one blog post from over 2 months ago and the last posts were from 1 month ago. Furthermore the News and Events page offers nothing since almost a year ago.
Furthermore, I find the site vague when it comes to About Us information. It does not explicitly say anywhere who the head admin is and also lacks much historical and important information about the site and who runs it.
Also I note that the site does not in fact contain a forum, besides this one outdated blog post.
On the other hand the site is well set up with simplicity and an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere.
I hope this post does not seriously bother anyone, it is not meant to inflame, or incite.
So I simply wanted to share my doubt publicly and spread this awareness. Hopefully my doubt is ill-founded and this web site is only her for its said purpose. I don’t mean to be pessimistic, but after growing up in Pensacola I have learned to be suspicious about anything with fishy connections.
Thanks, and feel free to respond to this.
Austin
I really feel that the direction of the city is way off. How can we be asked about retaining youth when there are no entry level white collar career tracks anywhere within 100 miles? Until we begin to attract technological, financial, or artistic endeavors that create 21st century jobs we would be doing our youth a disservice to ask them to invest their future in this area.
We offer limited cultural opportunities as well. I feel we miss out on tourism dollars by not providing opportunities for visitors other than beach activities. Museums, an improved Zoo and other attractions would help fill the hotels in the off season and also allow visitors more incentives that cater to the entire family. Once the sun goes down or if it is raining there is nothing for families to do! Just look at the visitor counts for the Naval Air Museum and you should realize that there are enough visitors who have the time and disposable income to sustain the creation of multiple cultural outlets. Besides, those of us who live here would rather visit attractions in the area than travel.
Please, consolidate the governments if it will save money. Invest in leadership with vision, not good old boy networks. Make this area into the diamond it could be instead of the lump of coal that it is.
First of all it is clear that the private sector in Pensacola is not exactly thriving, however the same can be said for the government.
Generally I stand behind PensacolaD in that in the end its up to the private sector to build the economy in Pensacola.
However, I believe that in the instance of Pensacola, where frankly the economy is not far from rock bottom and is hardly comparable to any large city, it is the responsibility of the government to get things going.
The government needs to jump start the private sector in the form of incentives and (beware of loaded word) stimulus. In other words, they need to make the first move.
From there the Private Sector will be able to build on itself and the Government will be able to step to the side and start focusing making sure nothing gets out of hand, that could possibly lead to collapse.
So all in all, it is up to the government to get things started and its up to the private sector to build things up. If they can’t work together then nothing will happen.
I think i’ve seen this somewhere before…but it’s not bad at all
It’s actually quite simple! Why not look at examples of communities that do a good job of Economic Development? I would challenge you to find 1 that had government take the lead. Ok, maybe Washington, DC but that’s about it. Economic Leadership HAS to come from the Private Sector. Once the Private Sector steps up, it is up to the leaders of the Private Sector to determine how successful the community becomes. If you have a talented group, the community will strive (take for example Charlotte, NC.). If the Private Sector does poorly the community will suffer (take for example Detroit, MI).
So where is Government’s role? First, they have to take the “brakes” off the Private Sector. They have to relinquish control of entities like the Chamber of Commerce to the Private Sector. Then, they need to SUPPORT the Private Sector (which in turn supports the government). If the Private Sector gets out of hand, the government needs to step in and “regulate” the excesses.
So to wrap this issue up, let private industry lead the economics and let the government govern. Isn’t that the purpose of both?